Free flux flow magneto-resistance of single crystal BSCCO

TL;DR

This study measures the flux flow resistance in single crystal BSCCO, revealing a much larger magneto-resistive effect than predicted and saturation at low fields, challenging existing models of vortex dynamics.

Contribution

It provides new experimental data on flux flow resistance in BSCCO and highlights discrepancies with traditional theories, especially regarding saturation behavior.

Findings

Magneto-resistance nearly 100 times larger than Bardeen-Stephen prediction

Resistance saturates at about Hc2/100 in vortex solid phase

Standard models partially explain but do not fully account for saturation phenomenon

Abstract

Measurement of the free flux flow resistance in monocrystalline highly anisotropic BSCCO reveals a low field magneto-resistive effect nearly 100 times that expected from a naive application of the Bardeen-Stephen rule R/Rn = B/Bc2. Furthermore in the vortex solid phase it saturates to a constant value at about Hc2/100 as if the vortices were moving 100 times faster than expected. An attempt to account for this behavior by a combination of sheared planar vortex flow obeying the BS rule and the quasi-particle c axis conductivity between the Josephson coupled superconducting planes is only partially successful. In particular it is unable to account for the saturation feature which occurs in both optimally and underdoped samples in the low temperature vortex solid phase.